“Pravova derzhava”. Issue 37 (2026), pages 464–475.
DOI: 10.33663/0869-2491-2026-37-464-475
Kysil Liudmyla
Certain aspects of the administrative legal personality of the head of a state institution of higher education
ISSN online: 2617-9776 print: 0869-2491
Introduction. Scientific interest in researching the theoretical - applied aspects of administrative legal personality, in particular, of heads of state higher education institutions, is primarily due to the need to establish transparent, effective, and eficient public administration, the current transformation of administrative law and its methods, which is taking place in the context of Ukraine's European integration aspirations and ongoing administrative legal reform.
Among the factors determining the administrative legal personality of heads of state higher education institutions is the presence of this type of oficials with power, administrative, economic, organizational and managerial functions, as defined in Article 34 of the Law of Ukraine «On Higher Education» and the Statute of the higher education institution, and the obligation of their participation in certain types of administrative legal relations, in particular, as subjects of declaration.
Due to the ambiguous interpretation in practice of the provisions of the Law of Ukraine «On Prevention of Corruption», from the standpoint of administrative law doctrine, it is necessary to resolve the issue of whether the position of head of a state higher education institution is one with a high/increased level of corruption risk and whether such a head is obliged to submit a notification to the National Agency for Corruption Prevention regarding significant changes in his or her financial status.
The aim of the article — is to examine certain aspects of the administrative legal personality of the head of a state higher education institution based on an analysis of domestic legislation defining the status of state-owned higher education institutions, as well as legislation in the field of corruption prevention, and to justify the expediency of amending the relevant legislation.
Results. According to paragraph 1 of part 1 of Article 31 of the Law of Ukraine
«On Higher Education», the decision on the establishment, reorganization or liquidation of a state-owned higher education institution is made by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Taking into account the procedure for establishment (by an administrative act of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine), as well as the content of paragraph 3 of part 2 of Article 81 of the Civil Code of Ukraine, a state-owned higher education institution, regardless of its type (university, academy, institute, college), is a legal entity under public law. Considering Part 1 of Article 27 of the Law of Ukraine
«On Higher Education», a state-owned higher education institution as a business entity must operate in the form of a state institution.
Paragraph 8 of Part 1 of Article 1 of the Law of Ukraine «On Prevention of Corruption» establishes the legal definition of «oficial of a legal entity under public law,» according to which the head of a state-owned higher education institution is one of the types of oficials of a legal entity under public law who, for the purposes of the said Law, are equated by subparagraph a) of paragraph 2 of part 1 of Article 3 to persons authorized to perform the functions of the state or local self-government and to whom this Law applies.
The Order of the National Agency for Corruption Prevention dated November 6, 2023 No. 249/23 approved the List of positions with high and increased levels of corruption risks. However, the List does not distinguish between positions with high
and elevated levels of corruption risk. At the same time, paragraph 5 of the List states that positions with high and increased levels of corruption risk include, among others, the positions of heads of state institutions, whose appointment (conclusion of a contract with them) is carried out by state bodies or supervisory boards of such legal entities.
According to subparagraph 53 of paragraph 4 of the Regulation approved by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 630 of October 16, 2014, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, in accordance with its assigned tasks, appoints and dismisses heads of higher education institutions under its jurisdiction based on the results of a competition. Therefore, the positions of heads of state higher education institutions are a type of positions defined in item 5 of the List.
A logical and semantic analysis of the concept of corruption risk, as proposed in the Methodology for Managing Corruption Risks, approved by Order No. 830/21 of the National Agency for Corruption Prevention on December 28, 2021, allows us to conclude that there is no need to distinguish between positions with high and elevated levels of corruption risk in the above-mentioned List, since such levels of corruption risk — high and elevated — are inherent, depending on the situation in the organizations specified in the List, to all positions listed in the List.
This approach allows us to conclude that the position of head of a state higher education institution is associated with both high and increased levels of corruption risk. Therefore, this type of oficial is required to report any significant changes in their financial status to the National Agency for Corruption Prevention.
Conclusions. Among the factors determining the administrative legal personality of heads of state higher education institutions is the presence of this type of oficials with power, administrative, economic, organizational and managerial functions, as defined in Article 34 of the Law of Ukraine «On Higher Education» and the Statute of the higher education institution, and the obligation of their participation in certain types of administrative legal relations, in particular, as subjects of declaration. Based on an analysis of current domestic legislation, it has been proven that the position of head of a state higher education institution is classified as a position with both a high and increased level of corruption risk, and an element of the legal status of such a position is the obligation to report significant changes in financial status to the National Agency for Corruption Prevention. It is justified that compliance with the principle of legal certainty as a component of the principle of the rule of law requires the harmonization of the wording contained in the Law of Ukraine «On Prevention of Corruption» and the List of Positions with High and Increased Levels of Corruption Risk, approved by Order of the National Agency for Corruption Prevention No. 249/23 of November 6, 2023, respectively, “positions associated with a high level of corruption risk” and “positions with a high and increased level of corruption risk.”
Keywords: administrative legal personality, anti-corruption legislation, declaration subjects, head of a state higher education institution, principle of the rule of law, positions with high and increased levels of corruption risks.
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Дата публікації: 24.03.2026